Koindras: A DragonRaid Tale

Chapter 7

Grimgut cringed again as he remembered that he had been discovered.  He cursed himself for being so careless.  Hopefully, the Warlock was not keeping close tabs on the situation.   The goblin had underestimated the LightRaider that he had been following.  This LightRaider seemed to be more seasoned and experienced than others that Grimgut had encountered in the past.  And while it was only one LightRaider, and not a party, Grimgut had the feeling that he was the one that should be followed.  He was hoping that the LightRaider would lead to the location that the Salt Warriors were at but now, the goblin cursed himself again, he was back at square one.  

Grimgut got up from his cot.  He hated the day, but he had tasks to fulfill and the daytime was the best time to get anything done on this particular mission.  He picked up the cloak the Warlock had provided.  When he had awoken from the spell that the Warlock had cast upon him, Grimgut had found that he had been given a magical cloak.  The special hooded cloak enabled Grimgut to move in the daylight.  However, it had also enabled Grimgut to become overconfident.  He had thought that nobody would expect him in the daylight.  He had not considered that the enemy would be looking out for any danger and would probably be over-perceptive.  And so, Grimgut had been careless and he had been discovered...and nearly caught.  It had been three days ago, but the blunder still haunted his memories.

Grimgut remembered that there had been something odd about the strange person that morning in the town square.  He had looked up at the large dragon statue with a look of disgust.  As Grimgut moved close to this stranger he saw a peculiar thing.  The stranger was silently talking to himself.  The goblin had seen this sort of thing before but he couldn't remember where.  Then, as the stranger turned and was about to disappear in the crowd, Grimgut remembered.  It was what LightRaiders sometimes did when they were talking to the OverLord!  Instinctively the goblin stepped forward and nearly drew his sword to stab the LightRaider in the back but caught himself and dropped back slightly into the crowd.   He followed the LightRaider through the streets for at least a couple hours.  Even with the magical cloak on, Grimgut could feel the heat of the sun and the stifling humidity that nearly choked him.

The daytime crowds created a sense of claustrophobia that Grimgut had never experienced at night, even during some of the dragon festivals when the streets were more crowded and rowdy.  A couple times he had nearly lost the LightRaider, but eventually was able to keep good pace with him.  The goblin believed that he had been undetected.  

When the LightRaider had entered a small alleyway on the far northside of the city, near the swamp-side wall, Grimgut had the hope that perhaps this was where the Salt Warriors were living and that he had successfully trailed the LightRaider to their dwelling.  Just as he rounded the corner to the alleyway and stepped into its shadows a hand grabbed him by the hood and pulled it back.  The light, even in the darkness of the alley, sent a thunderbolt of pain through the goblin's head.  The rage that swelled within him startled not only the LightRaider but also Grimgut.  As he twisted and writhed in pain, Grimgut pulled his dagger out and swung it in a wide arc, spinning free from the LightRaider who had let go of the hood and jumped back to evade the blade of the dagger.  

With his other hand, Grimgut pulled the hood back over his head.  Almost immediately, the effects of the sunlight subsided.  The LightRaider drew his sword and began to speak. The goblin predicted the words to be a Word Rune from the Sacred Scrolls.  The goblin did not know what Word Rune it was, nor did he want to remain nearby when the verse was completed.  He turned and ran out of the alley and in to the crowded streets.  His retreat was made in haste and panic.  He ran until he was fatigued.  As he sprawled onto a stack of hay in front of a livery stable, he glanced around behind him, looking for any evidence of his pursuer.  When Grimgut was satisfied that there was no indication that the LightRaider was coming, he painfully lifted himself to his feet.  He still held his dagger tightly, but concealed under his cloak, as he looked around and tried to figure out where he had ended up.  He had to get back to his hideout and lay low for a few days.  He cursed himself.

And now, three days later, Grimgut believed he had formulated a decent plan.  It was not what he truly wanted, but he knew his options were limited.  He knew that he had to find a way to get close enough to the LightRaider, track him, and find out where the Salt Warriors were staying.  And Grimgut knew that he, personally, would not be able to get that close now.  So, he had to enlist the help of someone else that he trusted to do the job well.  Unfortunately, finding those that were trustworthy was not an easy to do, but Grimgut had been able to get two that he believed would be reliable enough for this task.  They were not goblins, but they were still good at this sort of thing.  And more importantly they had not asked any questions when he had proposed his offer for their services.  The reward Grimgut had been promised by the Warlock would still be substantial after he paid them their cut.  Thinking of the reward helped to soften Grimgut's thought of stepping out into the sunlight.  He slipped on the magical cloak, covered his head, and stepped out into the busy morning streets.